Books Call Out

I've been thinking about returning for some time now. Writing is a difficult endeavor, especially if you're not well-practiced. So each time I've attempted, I've fallen short. But tonight a few books called out to help me while I was at Barnes and Noble. Have you ever noticed how you'll gravitate toward one book amongst thousands? Call it bookstore-karma. Put yourself in the right frame of mind, and the perfect book will present itself to you.
Tonight two books stood out: "The are of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein and "Love is a Mixed Tape" by Rob Sheffield. I sat down, and found why Stein's book was appropriate. It's written in the perspective of a dog, and seems to be about the bond between a dog and his/her owner. Kai is my new dog. Sheffield's book was a more direct correlation: after 7 years of being with his wife, she died. I was with Ali from 2001-2008. Initially I thought 'Why can't I escape this theme?' And then I answered myself, 'Because it probably holds something for you.'
So I cut to the chase: page 213. If you're in a bookstore in the near future, you can read the second paragraph in lieu of me trying to get my own words out there; he spoke them for me.
To both the author and my own revelation, life after loss is not a second-rate life. The radiance is still there. It's no copy.
I've found new hobbies, new avenues for happiness, new direction, and even new love. I've found life before and life after impossible to compare, and in that impossibility, there is no competition. It's simply different.
It's my intention to keep writing. Not because people are reading, but because I need to write. And the story is not complete.